Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes

Doesn’t that cupcake just look melt-in-your mouth delicious? I actually wanted to try out this cupcake idea last summer, but with so many other recipe ideas on my plate, this got pushed to the back of the queue. It was only when St. Patrick’s Day started rolling around that I decided it would be the perfect time to try out the recipe I had been craving for months.

I only wish I hadn’t waited so long, because these cupcakes were absolutely delightful. The cupcakes themselves used the perfect combination of coffee flavour with vanilla and butterscotch chips. They were sweet, without being too bold. The frosting, though, is what gives these cupcakes their magic. The frosting is a soft buttercream that is infused with Bailey’s Irish Cream coffee liqueur. The liqueur provides just the right amount of alcohol to give the cupcakes a more adult flavour, while also adding a light coffee taste to the mix. The combination is amazing. There’s really no better way to describe it.

Whether you’re celebrating St. Patrick’s day, or just want to enjoy the taste of coffee liqueur, you can’t go wrong with these Bailey’s Irish Cream cupcakes.

Although I only used coffee liqueur in the frosting, you certainly can use it in the cupcakes too. Simply replace the water, coffee, and milk in this recipe with Bailey’s Irish cream, or another coffee liqueur, but keep in mind that most of the alcohol will evaporate in the oven. That’s the reason I used rum flavouring in the cupcake batter instead. If you’re feeling extra bold, feel free to add rum flavouring, or even some whiskey, to the frosting as well.

Although the frosting itself is looks and tastes delicious, I wanted to give the cupcakes a little more visual appeal. I decided a bit of coloured sugar crystals would do the trick. Rather than using regular sprinkles, however, I pulled out a container of cococa “rim trim” that came in a hot chocolate gift set I received for Christmas. It’s essentially coffee-flavoured coloured sugar that you dip your mug in to decorate it for a fancier drink. I actually prefer to mix it in with my hot chocolate, but the sugar crystals worked just as well on top of my cupcakes! I also topped each cupcake with a single butterscotch chip, to match what’s mixed in on the inside. Overall, I think they turned out quite cute! 🙂